Rogers' Firebird: The Car That Can't Be Beat

With a little out-of-town advice, David Rogers has built a car that no one at the New Smyrna Speedway can beat.

Rogers, who has been one of the area's finest drivers the past few years, has won 10 consecutive Late Model Feature events with his Firebird at the New Smyrna track.

Two months ago, Rogers became the first local driver to win a Speed Weeks feature race at New Smyrna. Normally the track is dominated by the fast-track pros who are in town for racing at Daytona International Speedway.

Rogers, though, surprised everyone and qualified fastest during four of the eight nights of racing. Coupled with the two victories before Speed Weeks and the eight since, he has won 10 in a row.

''When the pros are in town during Speed Weeks, it makes you run faster because you always can pick up a few pointers,'' he said. ''You have to or otherwise you can't stay in the race. We've been on a roll ever since.''

Rogers, 29, has been racing the short tracks as a hobby for 10 years. This isn't the first time he or anyone else has dominated area racing. In 1981, Rogers won 13 consecutive features. Last season, LeRoy Porter, also from Orlando, won 11 in a row.

''Right now everything is just going well, and my competition is having its problems. It goes in cycles, though. I'm sure things will change soon,'' Rogers said.

Rogers won't race in New Smyrna's weekly Saturday night event. Instead he will be racing at Bradenton's DeSoto Speedway in the All-Pro Circuit stop. The feature is a 125-lap race worth $42,000.

Joining him will be Porter and Lee Faulk of Orlando, Ron McCreary of Altamonte Springs, Jack Cook and Mike Goldberg of Ormond Beach and Tim Nooner of New Smyrna Beach. Most usually race at New Smyrna.

''It's going to be tough to win in Bradenton,'' Rogers said. ''The competition on that circuit is tough, but we've been running pretty well in the past at that track. We have a chance to keep winning.''

The Volusia County Speedway, the half-mile dirt track in Barberville, opened its season last week and will run Late Model, Street Stock, Four Cylinders and Lady Bomber classes. Once a month, the Outlaw Winged Sprints will race. . . . The National College Driving Championships will be Sunday and Monday at Daytona. The event is not a race but more of a rally. The winner will be determined by the time it takes to complete the course. The winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship and the year's use of a Dodge Daytona Turbo.